Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #36b
Findings
Signature comparison
This card. The signature as cropped from the slab photo (front).
Below, the known examples Crown compared it with. Examples with stronger proof (signed in front of staff, or certified by an independent authenticator) carry the most weight.
Feature by feature
| Feature | This card | Known examples | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall form and proportions | Abbreviated two-part signature: an angular zig-zag 'M' with a short trailing element, then a 'P' with a following compressed scrawl ending in a crossed 't'-like terminal. | R1–R7 all show the same 'M' zig-zag plus 'P'-and-cross structure. R8 is a thinner-pen version of the same layout. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright strokes with a mild downhill run once the crop is rotated to horizontal. | Near-upright to slightly forward strokes on mostly level baselines. R6 and R7 vary somewhat. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | 'M' is made as a tall initial upstroke, a sharp V and a rising stroke into a small hump. 'P' has a tall stem and a closed bowl, followed by a compressed loop group and a long horizontal cross. | Same construction in R1, R2, R4 and R5. R3 and R7 show the same 'P' bowl and cross. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | 'M' is written in one continuous motion. There is a separate lift before 'P', and the trailing letters connect into the cross. | Same lift pattern between the first-name and surname elements across R1–R7. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the 'M' upstroke. Ends in a fast horizontal cross with a tapered finish. | Tapered entries and a flying horizontal cross finish in R1, R2, R3 and R4. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident marker lines with tapered ends. No visible tremor or drawn quality at this resolution. | Fast, fluent marker lines throughout the references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Varying width and ink density, heavier on downstrokes and lighter on the transitions. | Similar marker pressure variation (R2, R5, R6). | Match |
| Spacing | Moderate gap between the 'M' group and the 'P' group. The surname elements are compressed. | Comparable spacing in R1–R4. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The terminal horizontal cross acts as the flourish. | Same terminal cross with no separate underline. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically along the left side over the card art, at moderate size relative to the card. | Reference crops do not show card-level placement. On-art placement is typical for artist-signed sketch and sticker cards. | Not assessable |
| Ink and reproduction indicators | Blue marker with uneven density and visible stroke-edge variation. No halftone pattern is visible at this resolution. | Hand-applied marker in all references. | Natural variation |
Measurements
Software traced the ink and measured it against the known examples. The shaded band is the signer's normal range across those examples; the gold marker is this card.
| Feature | This card | Known examples | Normal range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slant of upright strokes | -3.1° | -12.3–-0.9° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -5.5° | -4.1–2.0° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.197 | 0.169–0.286 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.89× | 2.44–6.09× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.532 | 0.428–0.658 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 31 | 15.0–154.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 14 | 9.0–25.0 | In range |
Our software measured the slant, overall angle, height-to-width shape, ink travel, stroke thickness variation, loop count and number of separate strokes, then compared each against six of Pingitore's reference signatures. Every measure landed within his normal range, in most cases well under one 'normal spread' from his average. The slant (-3.1° against an average of -3.42°) and the height-to-width ratio (0.197 against 0.2) were almost identical to his typical values. The overall writing angle tilts a little more than average, but only by about one normal spread, which a slightly turned photo easily explains. The numbers support authenticating this signature, and they agree with the visual comparison.
Examiner notes
Our card is the 2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition (No. 36b), signed on-card in blue marker and placed vertically down the left border over the art. R2–R7 are artist autos from the same Nintendopes open edition, so they are very likely the same era, surface and similar pens. R1 (Horrorible Kids Series 9) is a close-era Magic Marker Art product. R8 (11x17 print) is undated but shows the same abbreviated form. No era-driven differences are expected or seen.
How Crown authenticates autographs: the signature is compared with known examples gathered from Crown's own authenticated cards, independent authenticators and public listings, measured by software, examined by an AI forensic model, and signed off by Crown Grading staff. The decision above is Crown's.
